What I learned in my first month of work
Categories: Money & work
When my full-time job was taking care of the kids and the house, I always felt like there was plenty of time to get things done. Laundry? I can do it later! Wipe up the bathroom? Oh, that can wait! Start a casserole? I have all afternoon! I can't tell you how many days ended with no clean clothes, a bathroom covered in ick, and take-out for dinner. And I would think WHAT DO I DO HERE ALL DAY? It was very frustrating.
So when I started working--freelancing, from my house, on my own schedule, but with real commitments that required signed contractual agreements--I was a little worried. Would my family be buried in laundry and filth? Would we ever eat a balanced meal again? How was I going to get everything DONE?
It's a funny thing, time. Now that I have signed over a large chunk of my time, every day, away from my house and my family, I am getting more done. I am--gasp--more organized! I know! It's crazy! But my house is cleaner, we've not had a laundry emergency in weeks, and we have actual food for dinner--well, not every night, but more than we were.
I make lists, all the time; in the morning, while my kids eat breakfast, I write out what I need to do that day. I organize my errands by location (the video store is before the UPS place, because that way I can make a right hand turn out of the first parking lot). I take care of the housekeeping before I sit down at the computer. I give myself time to make phone calls and pay bills and deal with household paperwork. When my kids come home from school, I stop working and play with them. And yes, I typically work more in the evening after they are in bed, but my husband does too, so we sit together with our laptops, and it's almost like it was when we were in graduate school, before the kids and the craziness.
I probably could have been doing this all along, but the idea of the commitment--of being responsible to someone else for a finished product--compelled me to get all my ducks in a row. And ironically, now that I'm working again, my house is running smoother than when I was just doing that every day.
So when I started working--freelancing, from my house, on my own schedule, but with real commitments that required signed contractual agreements--I was a little worried. Would my family be buried in laundry and filth? Would we ever eat a balanced meal again? How was I going to get everything DONE?
It's a funny thing, time. Now that I have signed over a large chunk of my time, every day, away from my house and my family, I am getting more done. I am--gasp--more organized! I know! It's crazy! But my house is cleaner, we've not had a laundry emergency in weeks, and we have actual food for dinner--well, not every night, but more than we were.
I make lists, all the time; in the morning, while my kids eat breakfast, I write out what I need to do that day. I organize my errands by location (the video store is before the UPS place, because that way I can make a right hand turn out of the first parking lot). I take care of the housekeeping before I sit down at the computer. I give myself time to make phone calls and pay bills and deal with household paperwork. When my kids come home from school, I stop working and play with them. And yes, I typically work more in the evening after they are in bed, but my husband does too, so we sit together with our laptops, and it's almost like it was when we were in graduate school, before the kids and the craziness.
I probably could have been doing this all along, but the idea of the commitment--of being responsible to someone else for a finished product--compelled me to get all my ducks in a row. And ironically, now that I'm working again, my house is running smoother than when I was just doing that every day.
Recent Posts
- Weekend Fun and Games (7/03/2009)
- Kids and Extracurriculars - When Do You Let Them Quit? (7/03/2009)
- Twitter Follow Friday on ParentDish! (7/03/2009)
- Lush Lashes (7/03/2009)
- Abigail Breslin Makes $13 a Week (7/03/2009)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sandyone 2-28-2007 @ 6:44PM
There was a glitch in my first semester college schedule. Somehow, I wound up scheduled for 21 credits. My father told me to keep the extra classes and see how I did. If it was too much, I could drop one or two. He knew that the extra requirement would force me to buck up. He was right and I got my highest GPA that semester. The next semester, I dropped to 14 credits and took up the extra time with drinking and partying. The grades reflected the change!!
I guess we have to find the right balance to keep us accountable and productive.
Well done!
Reply
SKL 2-28-2007 @ 10:29PM
I have had the same experience over the years. Within limits, the more I've had to do, the more successful I've been at doing each thing successfully. My best college GPAs were when I was taking 20-21 credits while working 60 hours / caring for my younger siblings full-time. And when I'm off work for any reason other than a whirlwind travel vacation, I get so mentally dull that I don't feel like doing much at all. When I'm working 60-hour weeks, I make time for studying languages and doing housework in the morning and working on nonprofit stuff in the evening. Somehow having a responsibility to think, organize, and do causes a lot more to get done.
Parents should remember this when they are considering whether a job or extracurricular activity will take away from their kids' academic developement. If anything, it will have the opposite effect. That said, all should be done in moderation. Obviously there is a point where anything gets to be too much - even free time!
Reply